Mutual Enemy
by ruan-san
Summary: They joined in order to destroy a Mutual Enemy. Now, they will unleash their vengeance. Tired of the constant suffering, they set out to finish what they have started. Together, they will fight their targets, rise victorious, and rule with glorious purpose. Rating may go up.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hi peoples. I apologize to any of you that have read my other stories and are patiently awaiting an update, because you'll have to continue waiting. I know, I'm terrible. I have no inspiration as of yet. I assure you, I don't plan on dropping any, but I think I should try writing other things to get back into the mood. Which is why I have started a Inuyasha/Avengers xover. It's my first. **

**Okay, so first, I'd like to say that this story starts in Thor. I have it under Avengers because the majority of this story will take place during Avengers, but that's not for a while. Also, once we get to Avengers, it will definitely stray from canon because of the addition of Kagome. I should probably say that KAGOME WILL BE ON THE 'BAD SIDE'. So, if you aren't interested in that, you can turn back and ignore this fic. I just thought that it would be an interesting take on Kagome's character—a challenge for myself. While she is technically a bad guy here, her motives aren't bad. Really, they might even be justified. This will also be a Loki/Kagome pairing if there even is one. I haven't decided yet. I'm more inclined to have romance in it, which is why it's under this category, but that might change in the future if I decide otherwise. Hope you enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own a thing.**

* * *

**Chapter One**

"Hurry up, Sis!" Souta yelled, already sprinting down the side of the crater, joining the large throng of people surrounding the hammer shaped satellite that had crashed a few days ago. When the siblings had heard some people talk about the apparently Excalibur-like hammer, Souta had practically begged her to let him have a go at it. He joked that, since her journey was over, maybe it was his turn.

In the end, she relented. Truthfully, now that her journey was in fact over, she didn't see the joy in another adventure—or any adventure, really. After all, the only thing her adventure had brought her was heartache. It let her discover this whole new world—all these things she never would have thought existed—only to take it away from her. The group had finally defeated Naraku, completing the jewel once and for all, only for it to grow an impossibly bright pink before her very eyes. The next thing she knew, she was back in the well. She could even feel the jewel inside her body, where it was before she had fallen. For a moment, she feared that she was sent back—back to the beginning. She feared that it would seem as if her journey had never occurred.

In her mind, that was a fate worse than death.

Her worries were quelled, however, when her mother had come running out of the house, embracing her and asking if her friends were alive. If everything was over.

It was only then that she noticed she was still drenched in the blood and sweat of battle.

She returned her mother's hug full force, sobs wracking her body—it was over. It was all over. But she didn't feel any relief in the revelation. She only felt sorrow, because she knew—she knew she'd never be able to see her friends again. She could practically feel the dead magic in the well down to her very core.

The well would never send her back—it couldn't. Not anymore.

It took her eight months. Eight months to finally accept that she was stuck in her time. By that time, she had already dug her own hole, pitching her into depression. With the help of her family, she managed to pull herself into some semblance of normality.

But, she knew that her idea of normality—staying home all day, only ever going outside to perform duties, refusing to go out at all with her old friends—would eventually notify her family to the fact that she wasn't completely over it. She watched as ever so slowly, they began to realize that letting her do as she pleased (which wasn't much) was probably not the greatest of ideas. She knew it would come, the day they actually forced her out of the house, but still hoped they would ignore the danger signs she involuntarily let out.

But it came, as she knew it would.

They, her mother and grandpa, pushed her to go out. To have 'fun'. She knew she wasn't exactly being fair to them, they were only doing what they believed was best for her, but she wanted to be left alone for just a little while longer. She had just gotten so angry at them. She was just so mad already, and after keeping everything bottled up for so long…. She snapped.

That was probably the worst fight their family had ever had since her father died so long ago. It was also the scene her little brother, Souta, had had to come home to on the first day of his summer vacation. The way his excitement and happiness had quickly morphed into a look of utter sadness and horror was enough to melt all traces of her anger, leaving only cold shame. Here she was, unwittingly tearing her family apart after already losing another. Kagome collapsed into the arms of her family once again, too exhausted to shed even one tear this time.

She needed to get away. She hadn't realized until then how much the shrine reminded her of her lost family. She hadn't realized that those reminders were the reasons she never left. She was still, unknowingly, holding on to the hope that one day she could return to the past. And so she left to travel the world with Souta, knowing that, if she left without him, he would put on a bravado while she was there, only to crack the minute she left.

That is how they found themselves in America—on the outskirts of New Mexico, to be exact.

"Kagome!" Souta's whine reminded her of the present, her body going back into motion. She quickly locked the doors to their rental car. Vaguely, she noted that a car with the letters SHIELD on the windshield had pulled up beside her, but ignored it in favor of catching up with her brother.

Souta was with a group of other people, surrounding a truck bed that appeared to have been removed from a man's truck. She raised an eyebrow in surprise, her eyes catching the long chain attached to the truck bed. Her eyebrows raised to her hairline when she realized that the other end of the chain had been attached to the satellite.

"Wow," she breathed, incredulous. She didn't think the satellite would have been that heavy.

"Come on, Kagome!" Souta said, grabbing her hand and urging her toward the satellite. "Let's take some pictures of us trying to pull the hammer out!"

"What? Why would you want to?" Kagome said, voicing her confusion. "It's not like we'll lift it. Did you see what it did to that truck?"

"Of course we're not going to actually lift it," he replied, giving her a 'duh' look. "But it'll make a good picture to show Mama and Grandpa once we get home." Kagome hummed in agreement.

Kagome pulled out her camera when they reached the 'hammer', getting ready to capture the moment as Souta wrapped his hands around the handle. He pulled, and Kagome snapped the picture. It wasn't until she actually looked at the picture she had taken that she noticed the somehow goofy looking grimace on his face of exaggerated exertion, and his crossed eyes.

"Souta, you idiot!" she yelled, smacking his shoulder. Souta went unfazed by the abuse, doubling over in laughter, face red.

"Don't be such a spoil sport, Kagome. It's just a bit of fun! Mom will love it."

"Fine, but you're taking another one. And don't do anything stupid this time!"

Her brother rolled his eyes at her, sticking his tongue out. He wrapped his hands around the handle again, and pulled. Kagome snapped the picture, making sure he didn't do anything. Satisfied, she nodded her head, making a move to return the camera to her pocket, only to be stopped by Souta's, "Wait!" She looked back up to him, her eyes questioning. "You didn't try lifting it yet!"

"I don't want to lift it," she answered slowly, giving him an odd look.

"Please?" he begged, literally getting on his knees before her. She was about to protest again, when he did it. The one thing she just couldn't say no to.

Puppy-dog eyes. Damn.

"Now that's just not fair," she complained, but grabbed the hammer anyway. Instantly, she felt a thrill shoot up her arm. She looked down at the hammer in surprise, wondering what that was. It almost felt like…magic. But, muted somehow. She shook her head, thinking it was just a figment of her imagination. Had it been magic, she would have felt it from a mile away. She banished the thought from her mind, tugging lightly on the hammer. She saw the flash of the camera out of the corner of her eye, but most of her focus was on the pulsing she felt from the hammer. She pulled harder and…

The hammer lifted.

It happened too quickly to recount accurately after that moment. Before she knew it, shouts were coming from all directions. She heard sirens ringing, along with the rev of various cars. Her head swiveled frantically, instinctively grabbing the front of her brother's shirt and pulling him behind her. She backed them both up, noticing dozens of men in suits coming toward them with guns. They were shouting at them in English, too fast for her to really understand.

She was panicking now. She immediately fell back to her survival instincts from the Feudal Era, too scared to think about any consequences. When the strange men raised their weapons, she raised her hands in front of her, erecting a small pink barrier just large enough to cover both her and Souta. This action only seemed to excite the men, as they began yelling even louder, at her and amongst themselves. She took that time to look down at her brother. Her anger flared seeing the terror on his face. His usually sun-kissed skin was ashen, his breathing labored as his eyes flickered between person to person—gun to massive gun.

Kagome turned back to strange men, her anger practically tangible. She was supposed to be recovering from her last fight, not finding herself in the middle of another. She was supposed to be relaxing, not protecting herself and her brother from men with guns. She was supposed to be normal, not the science experiment these men were looking at her like. Her gaze darted down to the stupid hammer still in her hand—yes, hand. As in, singular. The hammer that had pulled the truck bed clean off the truck itself was being held in just one of her tiny hands.

Another Tessaiga.

In her frustration, she pushed her hands forward, her barrier following them. The movement was so quick that it managed to push the men back, some of them getting knocked off their feet. She scanned through the men, trying to find some way of escape. There were men surrounding her from all sides, each one of them armed.

There was no way out.

She felt a sharp tug on her sleeve, causing her to look back at Souta.

"What's happening, Kagome?" he asked in a frightened, hushed whisper.

She looked into his eyes intensely, hating the fear she saw there. Furiously, she replied, "I don't know."

Her gaze returned to the men surrounding her, noticing how many of their eyes had trained on her brother, as if only just noticing his presence. In her observation, she noticed another man in the crowd who seemed to stand out. He was standing near the front, with a weapon aimed at them himself. However, the way he spoke to the rest of them, with authority and confidence, told her that he was the one in charge. She noticed how his gaze would dart from her, Souta, and the hammer.

Wait…. The hammer. It was the hammer that they wanted. Why not give it to them.

So, if the hammer was really as heavy as it had seemed, what with its suppressed magic and all, maybe it could make just enough of a distraction to let them get away. Well, it was worth a shot.

"Get ready to run," she whispered to Souta, a new determination flooding her body.

"What?" he cried, but she didn't grace him with an answer. Instead, she heaved the hammer over her head, surprised by its lightness, swinging it to get more momentum. With a shout, she released the hammer, dropping her barrier in time to see the hammer flying toward the men beside her. They jumped out of the way quickly, afraid of getting hit. The hammer landed with a loud boom, the ground shaking upon impact, knocking the men off their feet again. She managed to keep them grounded, grabbing Souta's hand and running through the path the men had made to get away from the hammer.

They ran up the crater, hoping to get to their car before the men gathered their wits. Kagome looked back, seeing that most of them had already gotten upright, their weapons aimed at them again, yelling orders. She ignored them, feeling a rush of relief seeing that they were almost to the car.

A gunshot rang. Then, silence.

* * *

**AN: The idea of Kagome lifting Mjolnir came from the fact that she could pull out the Tessaiga. I believe that Kagome would have the power to lift it, and she could possibly be worthy of it. Although, it's not like she'd actually be able to use it to its full potential like Thor. So, like it? Hate it? Review and tell me what you think! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: And Chapter 2 is up! I was so surprised to see what a positive response this story has gotten so far. I feel all giddy. I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint anyone. To anyone who is wondering, yes, Souta has been killed. Or has he...? I mean, I love Souta, but I couldn't of another reason for Kagome to actually join the bad guys unless the 'good guys' hurt someone close to her. Also, on a side note, if Kagome's way of thinking seems odd here, it's a mix of her just waking up after being knocked out by SHIELD, and the fact that I have a test soon on Tropes and Schemes in literature, so I'm studying by incorporating them into the chapter. Hope you don't mind. Okay, you might want to know that the POV changes quite a bit. First it's Kagome, then it switched to Loki, then back to Kagome, then Fury for a brief moment, and then Loki again. Sorry about that. I was just on a roll and didn't realize how confusing it might be if you're not the author.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything.**

* * *

**Chapter Two**

It's the woman this time.

She doesn't know how long she's been there—Hours? Days? Weeks?—or even how long she had been unconscious—Hours? Days? _Weeks?_ She only knew that, from before she even woke up, there's always someone with her in the room they had put her in. They're there—watching, waiting—asking her questions in English. She understood them (for the most part), but she never responded other than a carefully blank stare.

_Let them blunder around in their quest for knowledge, _she thought, _it's what they deserve. _And so she does nothing. Nothing but sit and stare, patiently waiting for the end—released with a warning, death—it doesn't matter. Not anymore. There's no reason for her to care what happens now. They took her reason when they—

Monsters. All of them.

The first person in the room was the same one from before—the one in charge: Caucasian, male, brown hair, slightly muscular build, and what looks like the same suit as last time. He stands with a straight back, arms crossed, and the same smirk on his face.

She does not like him.

The next person is the one in her room now, the woman: Caucasian, short red hair, slender, cat suit; armed. When the woman speaks, her voice is completely void of emotion. Even her threats have no feeling in them whatsoever.

She doesn't like the woman either.

The last person to visit was another man: African-American, eye patch, and an intimidating aura. To a normal person, anyway. He was more cordial than the others, at least. Unlike the others, he introduced himself the moment he walked in. He called himself Director Fury.

She doesn't know what to think of him.

Their questions are all the same:

"Do you know what you've done?"

"How did you do it?"

"Who are you?"

"_What_ are you?"

There are others, of course, but they're spoken so quickly or with words she just doesn't know, but she suspects that they mean about the same things.

She didn't answer them, anyway. Because she doesn't care anymore. Because she can't.

Her reason is gone.

* * *

Loki squared his shoulders, a feeling of resignation washing over him.

He didn't even know why he bothered. He knew—_knew_—it wouldn't work, not for him, but he needed to _try_. He needed to know if he was worthy enough for his father—not his father. The _All__-__father_. After all, if his brother—no, not his brother—Thor could wield that damned hammer, so could he. But, apparently, Mjolnir thought otherwise.

_The mighty Thor was everyone's favorite, _he thought bitterly. How can a hammer even _have_ a favorite, anyway?

Nevertheless, now was not the time to dwell on such things. His eyes swept over the buzzing mortals around him one last time, a sneer curling his lip as he prepared to leave for Asgard. The sooner he got away from these pathetic creatures, the better.

The sneer vanished from his face when he felt the familiar sensation of eyes burning into his back, his own eyes narrowing in suspicion. Who on this puny planet could see through his illusion? His suspicion waned as he realized the mortals behind him were merely gazing upon the godly weapon. Catching the words, "lift" and "hammer", Loki stepped closer to the humans in curiosity.

"…she said anything?"

"No. I heard they called Director Fury in to see her when she wouldn't say anything to Black Widow. Can you believe it?"

Unknown to the two men, Loki was staring at them with furrowed eyebrows, incredulity written on his face. The subject of their awe and alarm was a mere _woman_? Because she refused to speak to a _spider_? And what did she have to do with the Mjolnir? Mortals have only gotten stranger over the years.

"How do you think she did it, anyway?"

"No one knows. Yet. It couldn't have been some kind of fluke, either. Even after she fell unconscious, she managed to eradicate some sort of force field. It didn't drop until half an hour later."

Force field? Now Loki was really interested.

"Damn… Another mutant?"

"That's what the guys that took her in say. How else do you think she managed to use that hammer?"

Loki breathed in sharply. Mjolnir was meant for Thor and Thor alone, but the humans couldn't possibly be that moronic to mistake his brother—_Thor_— for a _woman_. And even then, Thor had little to no talent in magic, believing it to be no more than simple trickery, so the person they spoke of couldn't be Thor. He himself could easily raise a barrier should he ever choose to, but Thor? But who else could possibly lift Mjolnir?

Now that he knew of its presence, he could feel a sort of power (how could it possibly feel so _pure_?) coming from somewhere off to the side—as far from Thor as it could be. It was weak—and fading rapidly still—but still much more than what he would have thought to exist on this filthy planet. Although, even from here, he could tell that the majority of the power was being contained. Much like Mjolnir, its strength was subdued, hiding its true potential.

This raw energy belonged to a mortal? And a mortal woman at that? If he could capture this woman, harness her power completely, no one would dare question his authority. No one would disobey him. His father would be proud that he managed to secure such a useful ally for Asgard, and he would finally accept him. He would be the greatest king that Asgard has ever known.

Yes, he needed to find that woman.

She was the key to his success.

So with a new purpose in mind, Loki vanished, his destination no longer Asgard.

He was worthy. And he would finally prove it. To everyone.

He wasn't some disgusting Jotun. He wasn't a weakling. He wasn't Thor's shadow.

He was Loki, the Aesir. Rightful king of Asgard.

* * *

It had been a while since she had been reduced to having a staring contest with anyone. This Director Fury was a strange person indeed. He had returned, just moments after the woman's departure, only to sit in a chair opposite to her, and stare. He looked as if he were trying to understand a particularly difficult puzzle, or perhaps like her when it came to math problems. But by that comparison, she was a math problem…

Why did her head hurt so much? She could barely think straight.

She took another sip of the water Fury had given her, suddenly compelled to speak. A wave of nausea hit her, an alarm sounding in her head, but the blurry pieces in her head just couldn't connect.

"Why won't you let me go?" she asked in her broken, accented English, speaking for the first time since her awakening. She wondered at the strangely satisfied look on his face, but found she couldn't concentrate on it.

"Because we need answers," Fury replied, watching her intensely now. "What is your name?"

"Higurashi Kagome," she answered without hesitation.

"Good. Where are you from, Higurashi?"

"Kagome. My given name is Kagome. Higurashi is the name of my family. I… forget? I forget that you Americans introduce yourself given name first." She frowned, her mind struggling to find the right words to say. "I am from Tokyo, Japan. I live in a shrine with my family. There's my mama, my grandpa, and my brother… Souta!" Her mind felt clearer all of a sudden, the fog clearing up at the mention of her younger brother. She felt anger, hatred, and sorrow flood her body, taking over the numbness that had overwhelmed her moments ago.

Fury's one eye widened as he noticed the sudden awareness in the young girl's eyes. He cursed those damned scientist. He should have known that it wouldn't have been that easy to override a person's free will with a simple liquid substance. And even if it was successful on a normal human, he should've known that any woman able to just ignore the threats of Black Widow as if they were nothing must have a damn good willpower. He should've given her the whole damn bottle.

His hand twitched toward his gun as the girl's body began shaking, anger rolling off her in waves.

He remembered reading the girl's file when they brought her in. After briefing his men, he knew they needed to see just how much of a threat she could be. He had been interested, hoping they had found a new ally.

Finding her information had been easy enough. She was a civilian, eighteen years old, just out of high school. The only thing suspicious about her was the multiple diseases she had apparently contracted, but that could be chalked up to some sort of rebellious phase.

None of the information on her could have prepared him for what was before him now.

She was surrounded by an eerie pink glow; the pressure of it was suffocating.

Seeing it with his own eyes, there was no doubt in his mind that she was one of those mutants. A powerful mutant at that. And, somehow, he had just managed to piss her off.

Loki was impressed. He had been watching from the corner, completely unseen by the humans, observing his new toy.

She was stronger than he had thought. Even in her weakened state, if provoked, she could be a force to be reckoned with. But it was unstable, becoming more so the angrier and overcome with grief she became. In a flash, the mortal man was unconscious, and he had whisked the woman to a safe location.

Victory would be his.

* * *

**AN: Well... Still like it? What? I'm a fifteen year old girl, I'm entitled to a little insecurity every now and then. But, aren't you guys glad Loki has finally made an appearance? I am. Oh, and in case you didn't notice, that "he managed to piss her off" thing with Fury was based on what Tony said to Loki. Only, a little bit. Anyway, I was supposed to post this yesterday, but the internet was being all weird again. Also, I might not be able to update next week. Since I missed the testing lest year, I have to retake them next week. Fun right? Hey, at least I get to skip most of my classes. Tell me what you think. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: I know, it's been awhile. I just had so much trouble starting this chapter. I couldn't decide whether I wanted it to be in Kagome POV or Loki, but I eventually settled with Kagome. Then I had trouble writing the scene where Kagome agreed to help out Loki. Finally, I decided to just skip that, giving a brief summary of what happened, so that I could finally move on to the real story! CHA! Already, you can see in this chapter that I'm deviating almost completely from the movie. **

**I can' t believe it' s already been, what, three months since I last updated?! Hope you guys enjoy the chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own.**

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**Chapter Three**

Waking up in a strange room—one different from the one she had gotten used to these past few days—this certainly wasn't what Kagome had expected. Nonetheless, when the strange man (a Loki of Asgard), who was neither human nor demon and more powerful than either could ever hope to imagine, extended his hand in what was almost friendly companionship, she took it without hesitation. When he offered her his help in defeating a common enemy, she agreed with a determined glint in her eye. And when he asked her if she was ready to die for their cause, she answered with the only answer that made sense at this point.

She said yes.

* * *

It was becoming more evident as time went on that Kagome was just not cut out for this type of thing. According to Loki, it had been a week since he commandeered her from the newly dubbed 'enemy', and they had yet to agree on any sort of plan of action. Granted, she had been unconscious for four days of that week, but three days worth of plans was a lot of her ideas shot down the instant they left her mouth. Apparently, they were 'half-baked' and 'too soft' to really work anywhere.

Then again, she had shot down her own share of his ideas as well. Honestly, ruling over Asgard with an iron fist while his brother was on Earth was just plain stupid. Especially since his brother could always find a way to get back. And, no Loki, that does not mean to go and kill him while he is human. That might just give him back his God powers. She could say that with confidence as she already knew a bit about mystical magic items.

They tended to appear when you needed them most. Like when its master is about to die.

He even wanted to sacrifice his own father, Odin, in order to kill Laufey who was, apparently, the leader of a race he referred to as savages (a.k.a. Frost Giants). While most of this went completely over her head, she did understand the 'sacrificing his father' part. For a moment, she wondered just who she had decided to league herself with. In his defense, he _was_ confident he'd be able to 'slay the beast' before anything _major_ happened. Still, the fact that he was willing to risk the safety of his comatose father scared her more than she would care to admit.

His other plan was even more ridiculous. What help would the Chitauri be? While she hasn't met one in person (and how grateful for that she is), Loki informed her that they were powerful, but also mostly mindless drones that blindly followed the commands of their leader(s). From the little he had told her about them, as he didn't know much about the secret alien race himself, she could tell involving them would be the worst thing they could do. They didn't even know anything about these mysterious 'leaders' of theirs. They might even be more powerful than her and Loki combined. And, while Loki scoffed at the notion, Kagome was well aware that anything was possible. Being overly confident would get them killed fast.

Besides, something about that particular plan really put her on edge more than the others. It reminded her too much of Naraku and his hordes of demons, his quest for the Shikon driving him toward his own end. For this reason, she was adamant in avoiding this particular plan.

However, for some odd reason, Loki seemed to _want_ to go through with this one. At first she didn't understand why he would want such a thing, but when she locked eyes with him, she suddenly _knew._ It was not so much that he wanted to, but that he _needed_ to. He needed to prove that he could be just as good as Thor—that he could be a leader, too. He needed to show Asgard that he was more than a mere shadow. He needed them to see that he, too, could be feared—not just hated. It was the whole reason he brought her along and offered his assistance: to help him display his true strength.

Yet, even knowing this...

"I feared a man once, long ago." _Naraku. _"And I _hated_ him," she watched as he almost winced at the word, but kept going. He needed to hear this. "And, in the end, it was _I_ who killed him."

When he stared at her, a new light in his eyes, she turned away, delving deep into her thoughts.

She refused to be like Naraku. Refused to lose everything she worked for in the blink of an eye. She refused to die before Souta was avenged.

How does one go about ruining a _secret government organization_? How do you destroy something that _doesn't exist_? Something so dark yet hides behind a shield of light?

And it was then when it clicked. The answer to her questions: _expose them_.

Turning to the man beside her, the grin on her face showed nothing but excitement, and the hope for victory that grew stronger within her.

* * *

It was strange.

When she was younger, just starting out her Feudal adventure, she would often cried to her mother how she felt invisible. She complained how it was like she wasn't even there to Inuyasha when Kikyo was around.

It was really strange to experience the real thing and _not_ want to be seen. To be invisible to all but Loki, walking right passed _gods_ and not even be noticed. The power Loki had was truly remarkable. She actually almost stopped to do a little happy dance when she realized she was standing in front of Heimdall the all-seeing, and he was blind to her presence as well. It was only Loki's subtle sting of magic to her side that stilled her.

Truth be told, she felt kind of badass, even if the fact had little to do with any skill of her own. Besides the ability to keep her mouth shut, of course.

She was glad she convinced Loki to bring her along on step one of their plan. Though she knew he would never admit it (past experiences with similar superior, stick-up-his-ass demons told her that), he would probably need her help with this—if only to prevent him from attacking his brother.

Kagome suddenly found herself dreading the moment Thor stepped back into Asgard.

* * *

**AN: So, next chapter, Thor will make his appearance. And, yes, I realize this chapter was kind of short, but I wanted to keep the meeting with Thor to be in one chapter, and putting it in here would make the chapter too long. This chapter is a little rushed, though. like I said, I wanted to hurry the story along.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: There are some lines from the movie, but not a lot. I hope you enjoy the chapter. I apologize for any errors, I had to type this on my kindle. I haven't been able to get to a computer.**

**Disclaimer: Not mine.**

* * *

**Chapter Four**

"What troubles you, gatekeeper?" Loki asked Heimdall, his voice low and urgent. Kagome commended the man for his acting skills.

"I turned my gaze upon you in Midgard, but could neither see nor hear you. You were shrouded from me, like the Frost Giants that entered this realm," the intimidating man stated, looking at Loki with such an intense, golden eyed stare that she couldn't help but compare to Sesshoumaru.

Kagome turned her own gaze back to Loki, surprised to see pain in both his normally stoic face and blank eyes. It seemed so genuine that Kagome, someone who prided herself in being able to read people easily, was having a hard time remembering that it was all an act. She was having a hard time restraining herself from giving the man a sympathetic hug.

"Yes, I... I know," Loki said slowly, wincing as if he expected to get hit. "I have much to apologize for."

Although the hard look on his face had not faded, Kagome could tell that Heimdall was taken aback by the earnest statement from the God of Lies.

"But first, I need you to bring Thor back here—bring him back home. I fear that if it is forgiveness that I am asking, I should first make amends with my brother. I owe him at least that much for all that I have, and would have done had I not seen the error of my ways," Loki bowed his head shamefully, and she could have sworn those were tears brimming in his eyes.

Kagome grinned victoriously when the gatekeeper seemed to soften, cautiously laying a hand on the 'distressed' God. She wasn't surprised when he kept his guard up, though.

"Yes, my King."

"Thank you, Heimdall. Tell him to come to my father's chambers upon his arrival."

When Heimdall nodded an affirmative, Loki turned on his heel, toward the palace Kagome could see in the distance.

* * *

Kagome stood awkwardly against a wall as Loki spoke with his mother in hushed tones, occasionally glancing at the still man lying on a bed inside some sort of golden dome. It was magic, obviously, but a magic vastly different from her own and Loki's. It was a magic she could feel simmering in the air since they arrived in this world.

She caught a couple snippets of the conversation between mother and son, but other than the words "banished," "return," and "King," she had no idea what they were talking about. The Queen suddenly hugged Loki, tears streaming down her face, and a look of empty defeat in her eyes. Kagome felt a pang in her chest, knowing that this woman obviously cared about her son a great deal, but also knowing that there was no way she could know what Kagome and Loki were about to do without it messing up their plan somehow.

"My son," Frigga began, pulling away from Loki slightly so that she could look him in the eye, "no matter your choice, I will always love you. Promise me that you will not get yourself into too much trouble?"

When his eyes softened this time, it was obvious to anyone with eyes that it was genuine. "Of course, mother."

"Thank you," she said, pulling away completely to wipe at her cheeks with a dainty hand. With a shaky smile, she turned to the door expectantly.

Kagome tilted her head to the side, wondering what the Queen was looking at. It was only then she noticed the pounding footsteps headed in their direction. A call of "Brother!" was heard before a large, blonde man in a red cape came blundering in, attaching himself first to Loki and then his mother.

"Thor, I am so glad you are back," Frigga said, though her voice still reflected the sadness she felt.

"And I," Thor replied, a large grin on his face, oblivious to his mother's sorrow.

"And I," echoed Loki, whose lips curved upward ever so slightly.

It was only then that Thor noticed his father on the bed. "I do not understand... Loki, I thought you said that father..."

"I know. That is why I ordered your return. There is much to discuss."

"Yes... My King," Thor said with a proud little grin on his face that faltered when Loki could only frown at him.

"Not for much longer, I'm afraid."

"What do you mean?"

"Thor, you must know, the Frost Giants that entered this realm..." Loki swallowed, "That was my doing."

"You cannot be serious, Loki!" Thor exclaimed, shocked at Loki's confession. "Who has forced you to say such lies?!"

"No one, Thor!" Loki yelled, just as loudly as his brother. "It is the truth. I may be known throughout the galaxy for my silver-tongue, but I assure you this time no lies have escaped my lips! I brought the Frost Giants in to Asgard on the day of your coronation!"

"But why, brother?" he asked, looking almost as if he had been slapped. "What could possibly drive you to commit such treason?"

"Envy. I envied the way everyone seemed to prefer you, how our own father preferred you, and how it was your head upon which the crown would lay. I was petty, and it led me to open a secret passage into Asgard for those filthy creatures to enter, so that your coronation may be postponed."

"If you wanted the throne so badly—"

"I never wanted the throne!" Loki shouted, hands balled into fists at his side. "I never wanted to rule." Despite the serious situation, Kagome almost snorted at the blatant lie. "I never even wanted you banished, brother. It was only supposed to postpone your crowning, nothing more. I had only hoped to buy myself a little more time. Don't you see? I did not think you were ready for the pressures of being a King! I needed to see for myself if you could handle the weight of Asgard upon your shoulders! When you recklessly went to fight against the Frost Giants against father's wishes, I knew you were not ready! But I did not think father would send you to Midgard!"

Thor calmed slightly, but there was a hurt there, a betrayal on his face that shocked Kagome. From what Loki had told her, she had assumed that Thor would just take his word for what happened, and smile broadly at his brother in that naïve affectionate way Loki said he tended to. "Why, then, did you tell me father was dead?"

Frigga gasped quietly, clearly unaware of that tidbit.

"I panicked. When father fell into the odinsleep, I was so confused, a feeling I do not have often, and I let myself speak without thinking."

"Why am I here now, brother?" Thor asked softly.

"After I spoke to you on Midgard I... I met someone."

Kagome raised an eyebrow, wondering where the God of Mischief was going with this.

"A woman?" there was a twinkle in the blonde's eyes as he said that, his large grin coming back full force, as if the last couple of minutes had never happened.

He really was an idiot.

"Yes," Loki answered, a hint of a smile on his own lips. "A woman. She showed me the error of my ways, and I came here to rectify my mistakes. Do you know what it is like, brother? Finding someone who understands you much more than you understand yourself, even after only a short amount of time."

"I do," Thor said, and then muttering something that sounded suspiciously like "Jane."

"It is an amazing feeling."

"What is this woman like, that has so besotted my son?" Frigga spoke up for the first time since Thor's return, a loving smile on her face.

"She is...beautiful," Loki breathed, and Kagome felt suddenly awkward as the conversation turned to her. "Hair as black as the darkest night, and eyes a glowing sapphire. She was so...kind, even to a stranger like me. Strong-willed, and brave. And powerful, even for a mortal."

Already over the embarrassment, Kagome thought that the way Loki described her, she sounded awesome.

"You too?" Thor asked with a happy grin. "The mortals must be stronger than we believed, to have two women enchant us in a matter of days."

"And what is your lady like?"

"Jane is intelligent, and so curious. She is also kind, and very determined. She is...perfect."

"Then she must complement your less than perfect self," Loki teased, earning a booming laugh and a clap on the shoulder.

"Oh how I have missed your sly remarks, brother!"

"You are not...angry with me, Thor?"

"I have long forgiven you, Loki. You are family, and even your foolish mistakes cannot tear us apart!" Kagome saw something flash in Loki's eyes before disappearing completely. She was afraid for a second there that he would lose his composure.

"Too true."

The Gods settled into a comfortable silence, broken by Thor's inquiry, "What will you do now, brother? You spoke of no longer being King?"

"Yes, I am... stepping down from the throne, so that you may take the seat that you rightfully deserve. I have seen your progress on Midgard, and though you are still reckless, I see now that you are growing and you are ready."

"This is wonderful news!" Thor exclaimed, his grin having grown so large Kagome wondered if it hurt his face to do so. "Will you do me the honor of becoming my advisor, brother?"

"Actually, I had hoped to perhaps leave Asgard."

"Leave Asgard? But why? And where to?"

"Midgard," Loki answered, almost fondly. I was disturbing to see the sneering, commanding man from yesterday suddenly turn into some nervous, love-sick boy who stood talking to his mom and brother. It was disconcerting. "I have made many mistakes, and now I must atone for them."

"I understand," Thor said, a knowing grin on his face. "Does this have anything to do with the beautiful, raven-haired maiden you spoke so highly of?"

"You know me well, brother," Loki responded, his own boyish grin surfacing. She absent-mindedly noted how the expression made him look even more attractive than before.

"Come now! Let us prepare for the feast!"

"Feast?"

"Of course! We must celebrate my return, and say farewell to a beloved Prince of Asgard!'

* * *

**AN: And Thor is back! Next chapter is the feast, as well as the last we hear of Asgard for a while. And before anyone complains about Loki being too ooc, let me remind you that he's acting. God of Lies, people. I mean, it always bugged me that he wasnt that good of a liar in the movie. Hope you guys are enjoying the story so far what with all the changes. **


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